Fire-arm



7 (No Model.)

J. N. PROESGHEL.

FIRE ARM.

PatentedSept. 6, 1881.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES -PATENT OF ICE.

J LIUS N. PROESOHEL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FlRE -ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,817, dated September Application filed November 11, 1880. (N model.)

.useful Improvement in Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate, chiefly, tofire-arms having self-cocking'locks, although applicable also to ordinary locks, are especially applicable to revolving pistols in connection with self-cocking locks of usual construction, and are designed to secure convenience and safety,

, and to reduce bulk.

My invention consists, first, in the combination, with the guard, of a longitudinally slit folding trigger,'whereby the trigger is held in position by frictional contact with the sides of the guard; and, second, in the combination, with a hammer having an aperture in its heel, of a removable thumb-piece providedwith a spring-catch to retain it in said aperture.

The construction and operation will be explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a revolving pistol embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the trigger in position for use. Fig. 3 is a face view of the trigger as folded in the guard.

Similar lettersof reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The pistol, including the lock, is of ordinary construction, except in the details hereinafter set forth.

a is the revolving cylinder; 1), the hammer, acted on by the movement of lever c. d is the trigger, pivoted on lever c. e is the trigger-guard, and f is=a removable thumb-piece attached to the hammer.

The breech portionof the pistol is extended back by the addition of the slotted piece g,

which forms a shield or hood, which covers the 'face of the hammer, except when the latter is carried backward beyond half-cock. There is thus no space between the hammer a-ndbarrelplate, and the usual advantages of a concealed hammer are secured, with the additional advantage 'that the hammer is accessible for fullcooking by hand, as hereinafter described.

The hammer b is formed with its backportion or heel rounded, and without spur or projection, which might catch. Rounded hammers without projections have been used before; but mine differs from all others in the essential particular that the top of my hammer is rounded and shaped so as to'allow, after the hammer has been brought backward beyond half-cock by the action of the trigger, of its being brought tofull-cock by pressure on said top in the same manner as is done by pressure on tbethumb-piece of the ordinary hammer. When thus brought to full-cock by hand, the hammer is held there, and subsequently re leased by the usualmeans provided in the lock for the purpose, The hammer can, in the same manner, be brought back from full-cock to halfcock, by using the top of the hammer for the purpose in the same manner as the spur is used in the ordinary hammer. If desired, the top of the hammer may be roughened to facilitate such use, as the top of the common spur is. In order to simplify .the raising of the ham nerto full-cock, and to allow of itsbein gbrought down entirely-when desired, 1 use the removable th umb-piecef, formed for attachment-upon the'back or heel of the hammer. As shown, it is fitted with a. spring-catch,f, that enters an aperture formed in the heel of the hammer, wherein the tongues are retained by friction, so that the thumb-piece can be removed by a pull. The thumb-piece may be fitted for attachment to the hammer by any suitable devices in place of the spring-catch, either by a bayonet-joint or by friction, or otherwise; or it may be so fitted as not to be removed altogether, but only moved aside when not in use, so as to present no dangerous projections; or it may, by persons accustomed to the handling of fire-arms, be dispensed with altogether, the top of the hammer being used in the place thereof, as hereinbefore stated.

For convenience of retaining the thumbpiecef when not in use, I fit the end of the cylinder-spindle h, where there is one, in the arm to receive it, as shown in Fig.1; but it I may be otherwise disposed of.

Instead of the trigger d being a rigid extension of lever c, the same is made separate and connected with the lever by a knuckle-joint, of which 0 is the pin, the usual provision being made'to prevent the trigger turning too far bacp; on the joint.

ace of the usual guard, the'guard a con- In p sists of a piece slotted to receive the trigger when it is turned or folded forward, as shown in Fig. 1.- The trigger may be retained in the guard by any suitable devices. I prefer to slit 4 the triggerlengthwise, as shown in Fig.3, and form its sides to fit snugly in the guard, so

that when pressed in the trigger will be compressed, and thus held in place by friction.v

The trigger is also provided with side lug or lugs, d, and the sides of the guard cut out to receive the lugs, so that they may be used to release the trigger from the guard. The hood partially covering the spnrless hammer, the

. shaping of the top of the hammer, and the folding trigger made in this manner can readily be applied to self-cocking locks of usual construction without changing the mechanism.

The trigger can be folded when the hammer is at half-cock, and by proper fitting of the lugs in the guard only when at half-cock, thus permitting the arm to 'be carried in the pocket, or otherwise, without danger of accident.

' The arm constructed as described has all the advantages of a selfcocker combined with exceptional safety and compactness, while the self-cockers in use are objectionable both on account of bulkiness and (if-liability to be aco cidentaily discharged.

. While myimprovcment is especially applicable to arms having self-cockin g looks, it is .evident from the preceding description that every 'essential part thereof-namely, the partial cov- '5 ering or .hood for the hammer, the-rounded and shaped hammer in connection with amovable or removable thumb-piece, and the folding trigger and guard, as described-are also applicable, either separately or in combination, 0 to common non-self-cocking locks.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A folding trigger, d, slit longitudinally to give it elasticity and enable it to hold-by 4 5 friction to the guard, as described.

2. The thumb-piece f, having spring-catch f, combined with a hammer having an aperture formed in its heel to retain its tongues by friction and allow the thumb-piece to be re- 50 moved by a pull, as described.

JULIUS N. PROESGHEL.

Witnesses:

'Enonv McGLmroeK,

J .M. Lumen. 

